Hat and constructional element therefor



Jan. 3, 150 s. B. ROBERTS 2,493,31

' 5A1 gun CONSTRUCTIONAL ELEMENT THEREFOR Filed Sept. 29, 1347 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 IN V EN TOR.

Jan. 3 950 s. B. ROBERTS 2,493,361

3M My) coNsTRucTI-oNxL ELEMENT THEREFOR Filed Sgpt. 29, 1947' 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 INVENTOR.

Patented Jan. 3, 1950 worsen sTATE-s PATENT OFFICE HAT AND CONSTRUCTION "EIZEM'ENT THEREFOR San-ah B..Rberts, Los Angeles, Calif.

Aplill'ca'ti'on-September 29, 1947, Serial No. 7763741 =4 Glaims. $1

This invention relates to a constructional element for use making hat-wear, particularly feminine hat-wear, and to hats made therefrom. Mos-t hats are made from blocked forms, and this is particularly -=true or hats made from felt, strawand the-like. Gthenhats -are -made from various materia l's, stitched, *folded, draped, and otherwise formed to a desired shape. The manufacture *o'f *hatsrequ-ires a' tremendous amount of cutting, fitting and 'formingof odd-shaped pieces or a complicated set ofoperations whereby woven or feltedmaterials are caused to con-form to a desired contour. Feminine head-wear is bulky and requires large, bulky packages or containers when it is des'ired 'to carrythe same. A woman "when traveling-is forced "to carry large hat boxes in order to'have-available'achange of hats.

The present invention is directed to a constructional element from which various hats -may be "made. Itis also-directed to a method of construction andto a resulting hat whichcan 'be unpinned and caused to assumea-n -'extended, substantially "flat form occupy-ing --l-i-ttle volume *or spaee. -Hats made -in-=accordance with the present invention can "therefore be readily packed within a trunk, suitcase, orthe' l ike, thus eliminating the necessity of using large, bulk-y hat boxes.

The constructional element of the present in- 'ven-tion maybe made-from a great varietyof materials such'as woven straw, clo'th fabrics, net, -:fel-t,:or'various combinationsdfmaterials. These constructional elements may he 'suitably zdecoratededged rorshound. Moreover, :bhelsame-lcon- .struct-ionalrelementmayibecauseditozassume.variousformsnrmayibeacansed tozmakeihatssdiftering widely in appearance.

It iszanrobiect nf thegpresentzmvention, therefore, to .disclose'and providel'improvements .in the manufacture of feminine :head-wear.

It is a further obliect of =-the.invent-ion to :dis-

close and ,provide a :novel constructional element .from which head-wearimay-he made.

A still further object of :the invention is to disclose and provide hats :capable -of .being ,unfolded or expandedinto substantially flat form, thereby facilitating the packing --or transportation of'hats.

These and various other objects andadvan- 'tages of the present'lnven'tion willbecome-apparent tothose skilled in'the artlrom the following description of apreferre'd form of constructional element and of various hats made therefrom. Insuch description reference wlll'be had to the appended drawings, in which:

Fig. '1 is a plan view of .a preferred Iorm of constructionalelement, this view illustrating the element in its-expanded, laid out or flat condition.

Fig. 2 is a perspectivethree-quarterrear view of one form of hat made by theuse of the-element.

Fig. 3 is a -th-reeuar ter front elevation of another form of hat made from the constructional element of this invention.

Fig. 4 is a plan view of a still'turther form of hat.

Fig. 5 "illustrates one position 'or manner in which the hatof 4 may be worn.

Figs. 6 and 7 are perspective three-quarterrear and side elevational 'views respectively, of a still further form of hat'made from-the constructional element.

' The constructional elementillustrated in Fig. -1, in extended or -flattened form, is substantially *S-shaped and provided with "rounded ends. This constructional element may be said to have the main body portion it and the-rounded ends H and 12. "One of these ends is preferably iarg-er than the other, as indicated. 'The body portion is Ssh'aped "or sinuous. Both marginal edges of the body portion are in the 'form of reversed curves. One-marginal'edge may "include the concave marginal section l4 and the convex section 15, this convex "section "blending into the edge of'therounded end H. "The other marginal edge of the body portion "Hl may "include the concave section 16 and the convex section H, the latter blending into the margins of -the larger and 12. "These two marginal edges 'of -the :body portion preferably separate as they approach the larger end 12, thereby imparting to thebodyportim a progressively "increasing widthjfrom its neck (ad- 'ja'centthe smallerrounded en-d H) to the larger end l2. It will be noted that'the concave por- "tions of such marginal edgessuch'as the portions it and H5, merge into and meet the margins of the ends at relatively sharp corners, such as the corners t8 and T9. It mayibestated that the enlarged rounded end portions H and i2 point in substantially opposite directions and extend from thebody lfl toward the concave portions .0! the adjacent marginal edges.

"It may b'e'notedin passing and inIthe wayofan example that the constructional element of .Eig. 1 may have a total length .of between about 20 and 26 inches, and a maximum width (in the region between point [8 and the outer convex margin) of'between '4 and "BQinches.

"As previously indicated, the constructional elemerit "hereinabov-e referred tomay be :made from any desired material. Netting, cloth, straws,

sheets of copolymers, polymerization products and condensation products, and various combinations of materials (normally in sheet form) may be used. The marginal edges of such constructional element may be bound or otherwise decorated. The materials used may be transparent, translucent or opaque, and the entire unit may be lined or unlined. The unit hereinabove described may then be used in making various hats, such as, for example, the hat shown in Fig. 2. Attachment means, indicated at 2| and 22, may be carried by the end portions II and I2 respectively on one side of the element. The attachment means 21 may be caused to overlay and be connected with the means 22, giving rise to a hat of the character shown in Fig. 2. It will be noted that the small rounded end I I now overlaps the large rounded end I2 in the rear of the head of the wearer. It will now be noted that the marginal edges l6 and 11 form the outer edges of the hat, the marginal edge ll bending downwardly at the rear and then sweeping upwardly to form an upstanding front. A portion of the body of the element is folded upon itself to form the edge 23, the inner marginal edge of the body l4 merging into the edge l which at the rear of the hat forms the outer and lower margin of the hat. A decorative bow 24 is shown applied to and covering the juncture of the overlapping ends H and I2.

It is to be remembered that the constructional units of the present invention may be made of materials which diiier greatly in strength, rigidity, pliability, deformability, etc. The hat may be made of horsehair or relatively stiff but bendable material covered with cloth, satin, or the like, permitting the wearer to fold and bend the hat into any desired configuration.

Similarly, the hat illustrated in Fig. 3 is made of a single constructional element and the marginal edges of the constructional unit utilized in making this hat are shown decorated with a velvet and sequin edging or trim 21. The enlarged end I2 of the constructional unit is indicated at 12' and forms the top of the hat. marginal edge of the unit at a point indicated at 28 in Fig. 1 is connected to such marginal edge at a point located approximately at 29, and the small rounded end portion H is then attached to the body at approximately the point 30 to form the hat. The concave marginal edge 16 therefore overlies and traverses the surface of the body i5. Dash lines in Fig. 3 indicate the hat in a partly unrolled condition.

It will be noted that the various means of attachment, such as 21 or 22, or the connections between points 28 and 29, etc., may be either permanent connections or they may be releasable connections such as afiorded by means of snap fasteners, etc. Releasable connections are preferred since the entire hat may be readily unrolled and packed for transportation.

Figs. 4 and 5 illustrate a modified form of construction wherein two of the patterns or constructional units are partially stitched together. The two units may be completely stitched together in the region of the neck and small rounded end II. The marginal edges 16 and I! may also be stitched together, such stitching extending down to a suitable point on the rear edge of the enlarged rounded end l2. The inner marginal edges 14 are not stitched together but instead are permitted to be separable, as indicated at M and M. The means of attachment illus trated in Fig. l are used in causing the smaller The outer til rounded portion H to overlap the larger portion l2. The wearer may then utilize the hat somewhat in the manner of a tam-o-shanter, permitting a portion of her head and hair to extend into the opening between the unstitched marginal edges [4 as shown in Fig. 5.

A sports cap or hood cap may be made from the constructional element illustrated in Fig. 1, the resulting garment being shown in Figs. 6 and '7. As there illustrated, it will be noted that the large end [2 has been stitched to the adjacent marginal edges l4 and [5, the edge ll now forming the rear and low edge of the hat. The small end II is left hanging and may be utilized as a chin strap, particularly when a small end portion of a unit, such as the portion 3|, is attached to the opposite side of the hat, as best indicated in Fig. 7. Removable means for connecting the two small end portions H and II permit the cap to be firmly held upon the head, the portions II and II meeting beneath the chin of the wearer.

The manufacture of hats by the use of this invention permits shipment of hats from manufacturers to stores in a compact manner, thereby eliminating boxing, the costs incidental thereto,

, and the difiiculties encountered in shipping fragile, easily crushed and deformed articles such as hats.

It will be noted that blocking or the utilization of intricate forms, and other disadvantages incidental to the manufacture of hats in the customary manner are obviated by the use of the constructional element. Those skilled in the art will recognize the tremendous variety of headgear which may be made by the use of this constructional unit. All changes coming within the scope of the appended claims are embraced thereby.

I claim:

1. A hat composed essentially of an S-shaped constructional element which in extended form comprises a sinuous body portion of progressively increasing width, the widest end of said element terminating in a rounded end having a margin at a sharp angle to the adjacent concave marginal edge of thebody portion, the margin of said rounded end being attachable to the adjacent margin of the body portion to form the crown of a hat.

2. A hat composed essentially of an element made of sheet material, said element, in extended and flattened form, being of generally S-shape provided with rounded ends extending in opposite directions and a sinuous body portion, said body portion being of progressively increasing width, and connecting means carried by the element in cooperating relation whereby the element is adapted to be worn as a hat when said connecting means are in engagement and the element may be extended into substantially flat form when the means are disengaged.

3. A hat composed essentially of an element made of sheet material, said element, in extended and flattened form, being of generally S-shape provided with rounded ends extending in opposite directions and a sinuous body portion,'said body portion being of progressively increasing width, and connecting means carried by the ends of the element on the same side thereof whereby the element is adapted to be worn as a hat when said connecting means are in engagement and the element may be extended into substantially flat form when the means are disengaged. V

vided with marginal edges each in the form of 19 a reverse curve, the rounded end portions ex tending in opposite directions from such marginal edges, each of said rounded end portions extending in opposite directions from such marginal edges, each of said rounded end portions including a margin at a sharp angle to the adjacent concave section of the reverse curve; and connecting means carried by the rounded end portions, said connecting means upon engagement with each other causing said constructional element to assume the form of a hat.

SARAH B. ROBERTS.

REFERENCES CITED The following references are of record in the file of this patent:

UNITED STATES PATENTS Number Name Date D. 137,540 Marks Mar. 28, 1944 1,238,615 Wolf Aug. 28, 1917 1,709,856 Kleinberg Apr. 23, 1929 2,105,002 Miller Jan. 11, 1938 OTHER REFERENCES Eugene Dietzen Co. Catalog, Copyright 1938, page 306. 

